Fancy driving a gritter on Lincolnshire’s roads?

Lincolnshire County Council and Kier work in partnership to keep the county’s roads clear in winter and would like to hear from any current or retired HGV drivers looking for a seasonal challenge.

Mike Smith, general manager for Kier, said: “To drive a gritter you need to hold a current Class-C UK Large Goods Vehicle licence and a Driver Qualification Card (DQC).

“This role is seasonal from October through until about April and we employ on zero hours contracts as it’s impossible to predict when we will need our drivers.

“Our drivers often work through the night so it is a big commitment and it’s not always possible to juggle this with another driving job!

“If you have recently retired from driving a heavy goods vehicle and are looking for a new challenge then this could be ideal for you.”

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways and transport, added: “Our gritters are massively important as they help us all to stay safe on the road. Every time they go out they treat up to 2,000 miles of roads and this is often while many of us sleep.

“It’s pretty impressive how a gritter works – our drivers are trained to use the vehicle’s salt-spreading technology, fit a snow plough and drive in even the most treacherous conditions.

“We currently have about 100 drivers but if we could recruit more we would have an even more resilient service.”

All applicants must have their own transport and be willing to travel. For more information or to express your interest, call 01933 376376 (selecting option 1 twice) or email askHR@kier.co.uk

Keep up to date with gritting in Lincolnshire at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/winterweather or follow @LincsCC_Roads on Twitter.